Andy Straley was arrested on November 19 for allegedly attempting to bring 115 grams of methamphetamine into Dillingham. On Tuesday, a grand jury delivered a true bill of indictment for the charge of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Andy Straley, 50, has now been charged with allegedly possessing and intending to distribute methamphetamine.
A grand jury returned a true bill of indictment for Straley on December 11. A grand jury is a panel of citizens that hears evidence from prosecutors and determines whether there is probable cause to justify the indictment prosecutors seek.
Straley was arrested on November 19 at the Anchorage International Airport. Police say that they detained Straley based on a tip from a confidential informant and unusual behavior they observed at the airport. According to police, a drug-sniffing dog indicated his carry-on suitcase smelled of drugs. Law enforcement searched the bag and seized 115 grams of meth as well as drug paraphernalia. Straley was on his way to Dillingham, where the street value of that quantity of meth is $55,200, according to the Dillingham Police Department.
Shortly after his arrest, Dillingham police officers and Alaska State Troopers based in Dillingham executed a search warrant on Straley’s residence.
“We didn’t find any drugs, but we found some evidence, which assists the Anchorage Troopers in their case,” said local police chief Dan Pasquariello. “The local Dillingham trooper post and DPD work together and present a united front in combatting drugs here in Dillingham.”
Straley was released from custody on December 7. Now that he has been charged in the federal case, his arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday morning in the U.S. District Court in Anchorage before Judge Matthew Scoble.
If Straley is convicted, the sentence for the federal offense of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance is prison time between 10 years and life, as well as a hefty fine of up to $10 million.
Contact the author avery@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
